1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to merchandising systems. More specifically, this invention relates to a system in which a number of related but different size products are hung from respective hangers in a planogram at a retail outlet. Still more specifically, the invention relates to such an arrangement in which it is important that the proper products are stocked on the proper hangers.
In retail outlets it is common to suspend products in transparent packages such as blister packs--that is, in transparent plastic housings backed by a stiff card with a hanging opening in its upper end--from hangers which are supported on vertical pegboards. The hangers are typically made of wire bent into an elongated U-shape with the legs of the "U" having upward horns which engage into openings in the pegboard, the ends of the horns pressing forwardly against the rear surface of the pegboard to support the hangers in cantilever fashion. Products in blister packs are then suspended on the hangers which pass through the openings in the respective cards.
It is often the case in a retail outlet that a number of proximate hangers are provided with the intention that packs carrying different size items be suspended respectively from the hangers. It happens, however, that stock persons are not reliably conscientious about seeing that the blister packs are stored on the intended hangers for the respective sizes. Thus, dry cell batteries, for instance, which come in different sizes, (e.g. "C", "D", "AA" and "AAA") will be hung in various indiscriminate arrangements. For instance, "AA" battery packs may get hung on the "D" size battery pack hanger just because the "AA" battery hanger is full and there is room on the "D" hanger and the stock person is too rushed or lazy to take the overage back to the stockroom.
Subsequently, when a bunch of "D" size battery packs arrive, the stock person may see the "D" size rack is full and not unload the "AA"s from the "D" rack and fill up "D" size battery hanger as it should be. As a consequence, the bewildered customer is confronted with a "D" hanger full of "AA" battery size blister packs and has to assume that the store is out of "D" size batteries. Or he may simply buy the wrong size.
It also happens that when the battery pack hangers of a given brand become empty, battery packs of a rival manufacturer will find their way onto the hangers of the first brand, creating further customer confusion.
2. Description of Related Art including Information Disclosed under .sctn..sctn.1.97 to 1.99
The prior art does not meet or satisfy this problem. In the prior art there are display hangers of the type described which are designed for use with pegboards, for instance, in which identifying indicia are provided on a separate support element above the hangers. Examples are:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,245,547 issued Apr. 12, 1966 to Felkay
U.S. Pat. No. 3,645,485 issued Feb. 29, 1972 to Gold
U.S. Pat. No. 4,783,033 issued Nov. 8, 1988 to Valiulis.
The art also includes hanger structures of the same general type as described, including anti-pivot means. An example is the disclosure in Schayer U.S. Pat. No. 3,070,339 which issued Dec. 25, 1962. The Wilkens U.S. Pat. No. 3,481,482 provides a pilfer-proof arrangement wherein the pack has a special opening and a special hook is provided at the front of the hanger so that the blister pack must be manipulated to remove it from the hanger.
Farther afield, in the area of laundry racks there are means by which tags attached to laundry items are apertured in a way that checks out with a shape of a element used to identify the owner of the laundry items. Thus, laundry tags are provided with shaped openings that fit onto shaped body members if they are to be correlated with the laundry identified by that body member. Examples of such arrangements are the old patents U.S. Pat. No. 1,343,423 which issued Jun. 15, 1920 to J. H. Todd and U.S. Pat. No. 1,644,155 which issued Oct. 4, 1927 to R. O. Scott. Such devices and arrangements, however, are of no help in considering the merchandising problem described above.